


Chiquitita, Tell Me What's Wrong

by orphan_account



Series: Holy Moley! the BABA chronicles [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/F, Prom, dipper has a date, for once, gratuitous abba title, mabel needs a date
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-05 01:50:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3100619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel needs to get a date to the prom, and <i>fast</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't totally finished yet, but I knew I had to get at least the first part published. I'm having a writer's block at the moment.

"What are you so happy about?" Mabel grumbled. Dipper had come in, confident smirk in place, doing that infuriating cocky parade he insisted was just his normal way of walking. 

"Nothing, nothing," he said. But he was smirking  _while_  looking at her now, and she was gonna hit him if he didn't knock it off. "Can't a guy just be happy for no reason?"

Mabel narrowed her eyebrows. "Other guys, maybe. But not you."

"Why not?" his faux-sad tone was in complete disconnect with the ever-widening grin encompassing his face.

She groaned. "Knock it off, Dipper. I'm not in the mood."

Dipper frowned, moving to rest on the arm of the couch. Mabel had her knees bent, body reclined and textbook propped open against her thighs, hiding her face, but it didn't deter her brother. He pushed down on the crease in the book to get a better look at his sister, even leaning in close to her face in an attempt to get her to laugh. His smile wavered as she continued, resolutely, not looking at him.

He sighed. "Come on, Mabel. What's wrong?"

She looked away. "It's just...everyone else has a date for the prom already, except me. What am I supposed to do when the dance rolls around and I'm still going stag? I can't show up like that! We're seniors!"

His eyes had widened in surprise. "I thought you were gonna go with Candy and Grenda. You know, like you did for homecoming?"

She shook her head. "They're taking each other."

"Yeah," Dipper smiled, gesturing with his arms. "The three musketeers. I doubt they'd turn you away -"

"Dipper," she said shortly. "You don't understand. They are  _taking_.  _each_.  _other_." Dipper continued to look confused until Mabel widened her eyes at him, asking him silently how someone as bright as him could possibly be so dense. He slapped himself in the forehead, grumbling. "I guess I can...always take my brother?"

She looked up at him hopefully. Of course he wasn't her first choice - does anyone really want to take their sibling to a dance? But he'd never let her down before...

And now his face was falling. His left hand came up to rub the back of his head sheepishly, avoiding her eyes. "Sorry, Mabel. I... kind of already have a date." Her eyes widened in disbelief. His narrowed, displeased with her shock at the idea that he'd actually managed to get a date.

"No way! Who?"

"Wendy."

"Wendy?!" Mabel was absolutely incredulous, lunging over the arm of the couch to shove her face in his now - but this role reversal was absolutely not meant to incite laughter. And it didn't. "But she doesn't even go here anymore! She graduated, like, three years ago!"

"I was able to talk the staff into letting me take an alumni. She just has to sign some forms and then we're good to go. It's no big deal," he mumbled. "Although you could at least be happy for me."

She bit her lip, backing down to sit on her knees. "I am happy for you, Dipper. I'm just... I'm also sad for myself."

"Don't worry about it," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure you'll find someone. I mean, we have more than a month left. We can figure something out."

Mabel leaned on his shoulder and willed herself not to cry over it. She felt petty, and rude for assuming her brother - admittedly much less sociable - had managed to snag a partner while she was left in the dust. She wanted to believe Dipper when he said that she'd find someone.

She just couldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

Normally Mabel was all for a makeover. It was just one of those hyper-girly activities she could never seem to shake, no matter how cliche it was or how much her grunkle made fun of her. Today, however, she just couldn't get into it. 

Candy and Grenda had come over to do hair and nails and a sleepover, but Mabel was beginning to feel like a bit of a third wheel and started to wish Dipper hadn't left to play video games with Soos. Or that she'd opted to go with him.

"What is wrong, Mabel?" Candy picked up Tootsie Roll lying abandoned on the floor and tossed it at her friend's head. It bounced off of her, tumbling from the sheets of her bed to the floor with a dull  _thunk_. She hardly even noticed, still gazing at the ceiling with her cell phone in her hand, waiting to hear back from any of the people she'd texted within the last half hour.

When she didn't respond, Candy and Grenda exchanged looks, then went to sit on either side of her. "You've been super non-Mabel quiet today," Grenda remarked. "You can tell us through, like, interpretive dance if you don't wanna talk about it."

Mabel didn't really want to respond, but she was determined to. Before she could begin, though, she opted to cover her eyes with her hands. "I still don't have a date for the prom. I feel like I've asked everybody! What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Grenda said, poking her side. It worked, if only marginally; a slight smile peeked out on Mabel's hidden face. "It's just that guys are assholes. You should totally think about dating girls instead."

Mabel sighed. "I guess I could always ask. It just feels so weird, you know? I don't want to ask someone out at random, but all the girls I really know are my friends. I can't just make that leap."

"Then we'll make that leap for you! Candy and Grenda style!" The two high-fived above Mabel, who was trying her hardest not to smile. She knew the potential for it to be embarrassing, and in her heart she was cynical. But it was a nice gesture, and she couldn't help but smile.


	3. Chapter 3

After spending time with the high-velocity Candy and Grenda, it was almost like relaxing in the real world to hang out with Pacifica. Which was a strange thing to say, given that Pacifica was filthy rich. Mabel would have been content to make her own prom dress, but Pacifica insisted on buying her one. And she hadn't quite known what to say to that, although when she thanked her for the millionth time Pacifica rolled her eyes and told her to knock it off. 

The only problem of shopping with Pacifica was that she was too particular. Mabel liked pretty much every dress she saw, but Pacifica wanted something perfect - even though she wasn't going to be the one wearing it. 

"Ugh, I'm beginning to think I should just go in blue jeans and sneakers," Mabel groaned.

Pacifica shook her head, glaring over her shoulder at a clerk. "Better that than that nasty olive thing they tried to get you to buy back in there."

"I liked the bow," Mabel said, trying to remain positive.

"Yeah, the style was okay," Pacifica said, looking over something in a small notebook, "But puce and olive? Even the words sound gross."

Mabel rolled her eyes, but she was used to it by now. Pacifica was perfectly capable of 'lazing it' (her words, not Mabel's) with her and Dipper back at the Mystery Shack, but her haughty personality came out full throttle when fashion was on the line. Pacifica said it was both a blessing and a curse; Mabel just thought it was funny to tease her about it, specifically say things to drive her crazy. She was kind of funny when she was mad.

"So," she said nonchalantly, "Have you got a date yet?"

Mabel flinched, but her friend didn't notice, too caught up in the notes she was making on her phone. She almost felt like lying; she still felt inferior when it came to Pacifica. But they were friends now, and there was no real reason for her to lie... "No," she sighed. "You?"

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Yes and no. My parents have hated everyone who's asked, and you know what they can be like," she said, shifting her eyes. Mabel cringed - she'd only had the pleasure of meeting Pacifica's parents a few times, and none of those times had been pleasant. They'd made it clear they didn't care for Mabel or her brother. "I was going to ask Dipper just to piss them off, you know, without their permission or whatever. But he's already hit the jackpot." She was smirking, eyebrows raised.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, lucky him."

"I guess we could always do the same as him, you know? Ask alumni or something." Mabel didn't need to look over her shoulder to know Pacifica was now flipping through her list of FaceBook friends, trying to find someone who would be available and willing.

"Yeah, I guess," Mabel replied. She bit her lip, not sure how to broach the subject with Pacifica. She'd gotten better, more open-minded, and the few pieces of bigotry she still held were ingrained from her parents. But still, Mabel worried that she wouldn't take it well. Digging her shoe into the ground as they stood in line in the food court, she decided to bite the bullet. "I've been thinking about asking a girl."

To her surprise, there was no big reaction from Pacifica - at least, not in the way she'd been expecting. "Oh, cool - wait, that is, like, allowed, right? They're not going to pull some homophobic bullshit, right?"

Mabel shook her head. "I don't think so. Candy and Grenda are going together -"

"Now there's a surprise," Pacifica said, rolling her eyes.

Mabel laughed. "So, you know, I don't see why not."

"That might not be such a bad idea," Pacifica mumbled, not looking over at Mabel. Something about it felt weird - she was just staring at her phone, despite its screen having gone blank. Mabel was about to mention it when she spoke up again; "Just make sure the two of you don't wear the same dress. That would be so, so tacky."


End file.
